The National Trust’s commitment is “For everyone, for ever.” Bringing that promise to life starts with the people that work here. It means building teams with a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. It means creating an inclusive environment where everyone is able to thrive. Our positions are open to all, and we welcome applications from all backgrounds to support our ambitions of reflecting the communities we serve and ending unequal access.

The new role of Strategy & Governance Director will play a central and highly influential role in shaping the future of the National Trust.

Reporting directly to the Director General (DG) you’ll be responsible for driving strategy and governance across the organisation, leading the Strategy Delivery Unit, DG’s Office and Governance Teams.

You’ll bring structure to complexity, offer clarity in fastmoving situations, and manage competing priorities with confidence and diplomacy. Working closely with the DG, Executive Team, Chair, Trustees and senior leaders, you’ll operate at the highest levels with focus and clarity to ensure delivery of our ambitious goals.

You’ll be adept at making sound decisions in complex and time sensitive contexts, communicating with impact and bringing both structure and momentum to strategic planning and governance across the organisation.

Salary: £112,500 - £125,000, dependant on experience.

You’ll join a purpose driven organisation rooted in care for people, places and the long-term future. We’re collaborative, inclusive and guided by values that shape how we work every day.

You’ll be part of a talented senior community working across a matrix structure, where partnership, curiosity and continuous improvement are essential. We value diverse perspectives, learn from each other, and focus on delivering meaningful impact at local and national levels. You’ll also lead and develop a high performing team, helping colleagues grow their capability, confidence and contribution.

You’ll be based at one of our offices (Swindon or London), although national travel will be required for this role. Our hybrid working policy means you can balance office and home working with meetings at other National Trust places. We’ll talk about this in more detail at interview, but you should expect to be at a National Trust site for 40–60% of your working week.

You’ll strengthen the strategic and governance foundations that support our mission, ensuring leaders have the insight, frameworks and information to make informed, ethical decisions. You’ll oversee the Strategy Delivery Unit, DG’s Office and Governance team, maintaining robust governance systems, including annual strategy reviews, strategic planning and performance monitoring. You’ll uphold high standards in financial and governance reporting, providing clear analysis of organisational performance.

Your leadership will guide change management, business improvement, project governance and resource planning, ensuring people and financial resources align with strategic priorities. You’ll challenge established approaches, identify opportunities to enhance productivity and effectiveness, and drive improvements that deliver long-term value.

You’ll build strong relationships across internal and external stakeholders and lead complex organisational initiatives to successful delivery. Your ability to stay composed under pressure, communicate with impact and navigate complexity will be essential.

• An experienced senior leader who can work effectively across multiple teams, creating seamless alignment between the strategy and the reality of operational delivery.
• A strong strategic leader with deep expertise in change management, able to guide the organisation through complex transformation with confidence.
• Strong personal impact and influence - able to challenge, persuade & inspire senior stakeholders and separate teams to work collaboratively in service of the common good, whilst doing so with tact and diplomacy.
• Strong grasp of business planning and finance, with the ability to connect long-term strategic ambition with robust financial decision making.
• Thorough understanding of business growth and improvement strategies, and the ability to apply these in a practical way.
• A trusted governance expert with sound knowledge of corporate governance in the charity and not-for-profit sector.
• A relationship builder who works effectively across boundaries to achieve shared business outcomes.
• Ability to earn credibility quickly with senior stakeholders and can influence decisions through clear thinking and strong professional judgement.
• An exceptional communicator, confident operating with senior leaders, boards, internal and external partners and able to translate complex information into clear, actionable insight.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

• Rental deposit loan scheme

• Season ticket loan

• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)

• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

• Flexible working whenever possible

• Employee assistance programme

• Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.